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Shavuot 5776/2016

5/31/2016

 
Shavuot, our next major festival, begins Saturday night June 11th.  In ancient times, the Jewish people made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times a year to mark pivotal moments in the agricultural cycle: the early spring grain harvest at Passover, the later grain and fruit harvests at Shavuot, and the final autumn ingathering of produce at Sukkot.

On Shavuot in ancient times Jewish pilgrims would march into Jerusalem from the countryside, carrying baskets of ripe fruits and bread baked from the newly harvested wheat.

In rabbinic times, Shavuot became identified with the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. It has long been a custom to inaugurate a Jewish child's education at Shavuot.  In many contemporary American Jewish communities, confirmations and graduations take place at this time.

For fifteen years our community has revitalized an ancient tradition by celebrating Shavuot with the study of our sacred texts. Temple Beth Ami and Congregation Beth Shalom have taken turns hosting an evening of dessert and study on Erev Shavuot.

This year we will be hosting the Shavuot Study Session at Temple Beth Ami on Saturday evening, June 11th, beginning at 8:00 PM. In a year of elections and national debate over such critical issues as healthcare, immigration and welfare, we will explore the texts, starting with the Torah, for insights into contemporary solutions.  We look forward to your participation in this program, a celebration of Jewish learning and community connection.

On the topic of education, it’s hard to believe another school year is coming to an end. Once again our educators at Temple Beth Ami, led by our Cantor Kenny Ellis have done an amazing job.  The Cantor has been a wonderful addition to our educational team, and his leadership has been a tremendous asset. Our program continues to grow, and is constantly stimulating our students’ minds and inspiring them as they begin their own personal Jewish journeys.

For Adult learning, our Tuesday morning class that meets at 9 AM continues to grow and our Wednesday evening D’var Torah class meets at 7 PM and is coming up on two years of not only weekly study but the sharing of our Torah interpretations.  TBA has celebrated with nearly 50 adults as they have gone through the study and preparation required to read and comment on the Torah.  We are putting together an Interest List for Adult B’nai Mitzvah, so please contact the TBA office if you are interested.

At TBA we look forward to expanding the educational offerings for people of all ages and backgrounds.  As our congregation continues to grow, so will the opportunities to expand the mind, heart and heart. We believe that we will truly be a stronger community when we are all devoted to lifelong learning–a Jewish tradition from Sinai.
 
Chag Sameyach,
Rabbi Mark Blazer

The Miracle of Israel

5/4/2016

 
         At 4 P.M. on the fifth of Iyar 5708 corresponding to May 14, 1948, Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion, surrounded by members of the Provisional Council of State on the ground floor of the Tel Aviv Art Museum, issued a proclamation to the world:
We, members of the people's council, representatives of the Jewish community of Eretz Yisrael and of the Zionist movement . . . by virtue of our natural and historic right and on the strength of the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Yisrael, to be known as the State of Israel.
         This year we celebrate, Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day beginning at sundown May 11th.  In the midst of this year’s celebration many are concerned with the recent tension between the governments of the USA and Israel.  In our election year there is a feeling of unknown that is already amplified by political challenges that have torn apart Israel’s neighbors and created an unprecedented amount of instability in the region.
         The miracle of Israel is something we celebrate with a sense of awe, wonder and astonishment.  In the midst of all this turmoil Israel represents hope, not only for the Jewish people, but for all humanity.
         The Declaration of Independence of Israel granted freedom, justice, and peace to everyone, guaranteed freedom of religion, and safeguarded the holy places of all faiths also extended a hand "to all neighboring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness." It appealed to them "to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel was prepared, the Declaration continued, "to do its share in common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East."
         Two thousand years of waiting to be restored to our homeland—two thousand years of longing, wandering, and suffering— came to an end.  And sixty-eight years later we still celebrate the miracle, even as the vision is yet to be fully realized.
         In June I will be traveling to Israel with over 40 young people, a full Birthright trip.  Our travelers are primarily Santa Clarita students and include many who, only in the last few years, celebrated B’nai Mitzvah at Temple Beth Ami.
         Celebrate with us at a special Shabbat Service focusing on Israel featuring Cantor Kenny Ellis, Friday, May 13th at 8 pm.
​
Am Yisrael Chai – The People of Israel Live
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